Sermons by James Stone (Page 7)

Sermons by James Stone (Page 7)

He Came Down – Before the Manger

Before the Manger John’s Gospel, chapter 1, verses 1 to 2 John’s unique contribution Mark’s Gospel is silent, Matthew and Luke’s Gospels give us the details of Jesus’ birth, but only John takes us back to the beginning, “before the manger”. In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word To call Jesus “The Word” seems a strange way of speaking, but…

Resting in Righteousness – Psalm 7

Resting in Righteousness Psalm 7 There is an awkwardness in thinking about Judgement. Is God harsh? Or perhaps my own experience of personal injustice bites too deeply? David cries out in a plea for protection from men terrible as lions. He looks in his own heart. “Am I innocent?” He thinks about God the righteous Judge, asking Him to deal with injustice. Evil and trouble bring their own judgment upon themselves. He moves from plea to praise. “I will give…

Confident prayer from the sick-bed of tears – Psalm 6

Psalm 6 Confident prayer from the sick-bed of tears Luther’s Tentatio It would’ve been around February. March. 2006. And a group of 25-30 students had just returned from their summer break to engage in their second year of classes at George Whitefield College. A Bible College located right on the beach at Muizenberg. In Cape Town, South Africa. As the students take their seats. And enjoy catching up on what each other had been up to over the holidays. The…

The Gate, the Shepherd and the Sheep

The Gate, the Shepherd, and the Sheep John 10 Leaders The figure of speech (vv. 1-6) The figure of speech expanded (vv 7-42) The gate (7-10) The shepherd (11-18) The sheep (19-42) Found: The Leader

What has Jesus done? God’s agent of salvation

What has Jesus done? God’s agent of salvation Hebrews 1:3c-4 Sacrifice and the gods Down through the centuries religion has been marked by. Or at least, closely associated with. The practice of sacrifice. Religion and sacrifice. Historically, they’ve gone together. The cultures and societies of the Ancient Near East. The area in which God’s people in the Old Testament. The Israelites. Lived. And the context in which the Old Testament was written. Those Ancient Near Eastern religions. They engaged in…

Who is Jesus? God’s Perfect Image

Who is Jesus? God’s perfect image Hebrews 1:3a The search for God Just talking to other people can reveal that many are on a search for God. They might not necessarily use the word, ‘God’, but the search is there for ‘The Great Being’, ‘Ultimate Reality’, ‘True Meaning’. Pick a term. Spiritual quests. In pursuit of the spiritual. A few years ago it was Julia Roberts’ trendy ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ movie that attracted such a following. Where Liz Gilbert. The…

What has Jesus done? God’s Agent of Creation

What has Jesus done? God’s agent of creation Hebrews 1:2b and 3b Creation controversies Down through the centuries the topic of creation has been fraught with controversy. Amongst Christians, perhaps almost as much as amongst anyone else. Are we talking about creation occurring over six literal twenty-four hour days? Days as we experience days. Or are those ‘first day’, ‘second day’, ‘third day’ references in Genesis 1 to be understood more figuratively. As periods of time rather than strictly twenty-four…

Who is Jesus? God’s Final Word

Who is Jesus? God’s final word Hebrews 1:1-2a A vox pop in Engadine re Jesus I wonder if we did a vox pop here in Engadine. You know where you go around and you ask people what their opinion is on a particular subject. I wonder if we went around Engadine. Or Heathcote. Or whatever suburb you live in. And asked people who do you think Jesus is. What do you make of what Jesus has done. I wonder what…

Guide Us Guard Us – Psalm 5

Psalm 5 For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David. Turning to God 1 Listen to my words, Lord,consider my lament.2 Hear my cry for help,my King and my God,for to you I pray.3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;in the morning I lay my requests before youand wait expectantly. Psalm 5 God and the Wicked 4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;with you, evil people are not welcome.5 The…